Mail-box attachment.



A. ANDERSON.

MAIL BOX ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.15, 191s.

l m fimm Patented Jan.5,1915.

ANDERS ANDERSON, OF LINDSAY, ITEBRASKA.

MAIL-BOX ATTACHMENT.

iaeaeso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 5, 1915.

Application filed December 15, 1913. Serial No. 806,551.

useful Improvements in Mail-Box Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it'a'ppertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail boxes and is more particularly adapted for use in connection with mail boxes stationed along rural delivery routes, and has for one of its objects the construction of a mail box which can be conveniently carried by the mail carrier for depositing the same within the stationary mail box.

Another object of this invention is the construction of a portable mail box having a mail compartment and a stamp, or coin compartment arranged therein for the convenient handling of the mail and coins or stamps.

A further object of this invention is the construction of a portable mail box of a size to fit within the stationary mail boxes which are posted along the rural delivery or other mail route.

A still further object of this invention is the construction of a portable mail box which is made of any light material, preferably aluminum, and one of few parts and which can be manufactured at a very small cost.- And a still further object of this inventi on is the construction of aportable mail box for more effectual distribution of the mail from the distributing office to the rural mail box for protecting the mail matter contained therein from damage occasioned by storms or other conditions of the weather.

These and other objects will more fully appear and the nature of the invention be more clearly understood from the construction and arrangement of parts as described in the specification, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device with the top in elevated position and showing the interior arrangements of the device; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional side elevation of the device showing the lid in closed and lockedposition. Fig.

3 is a vertical transverse sectional end elevation on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Like characters denote similar throughout the several views of the drawings, and by reference to which 1 denotes the mail box having the bottom 2 and the vertical side members 3 arranged thereon and the rear end 4 connected to the side members 3 and also having the front end member 5, conected also to the side members 3, which end member 5 is provided intermediate of its ends and adjacent the top edge thereof with the aperture 6 to be hereinafter described. Arranged within the -box 1 is a vertical partition 7 arranged parallel with the frontend member 5 and spaced therefrom which partition 7 is designed to divide the interior of the box 1 into a large compartment 8 for the reception of mail matter and also to provide a smaller compartment 9 in the forward end of the box 1 parts I for the reception of a coin box indicated at 3001' stamps. The box 1 is also provided with the lid 10, which lid is provided with downwardly extending flanges depending therefrom to form the side flanges 11, the rear flange 12 and the front flange 13 which front flange has the lower central edge thereof slightly elongated to form theilug 141 and to provide for the arranging of the aperture 15 therein. The side flanges 11, at the rear ends thereof, are formed-with depending lugs 16 to provide hinges and having the apertures 17 arranged therein adapted to register with the apertures 19 of the sides 3 and the lugs 16 secured to the sides 3 through the means of rivets 18 or other suitable means passing through the apertures 17 and 19 respectively for the purpose of hingedly connecting the lid 10 with the box 1.

Arranged upon the front end member 5 of the box 1 and on the inner side thereof is a spring member 20 rigidly connected thereto by the rivet 21, and which spring 20 is i tures are brought into registration with each other and'when the lid is in closed position. It is to be noted that the u-shaped portion 22 of the spring 20 has a double function, the first being its adaptation as a resilient clasp for fastening the .lid as well asjmeans forthe reception of the pads lock 25 or any other suitable means. Arranged upon the outside of the end member cf the box 1"is a name plate 5 which plate has thereon the name of the addressee as well as the number of his mail box, for

designating the point of delivery of the portable mail box or boxes 1.

Positioned within the compartment 9 is acoin holder of the usual construction and which comprises the cylinder portion 30 having the bottomjll and the usual slotted top 32, and arranged within the interior is a follower 33 actuated by the spring 34: for

constantly maintaining the coins 35 against a top 32, a coin holder. being shown to illustrate the adaptation of the smaller compartment .9 to receive the coin holder which holder conveniently holds'the coins for the. purchase of stainps,postal cards, etc. It is to be understood that the mail boxes are to be used in pairs, the carrier having one always in his possession, and the owner the other, and which boxes are to have the names of the persons to Whom the mail is to be deliveredstamped, or otherwise fixed to the-front. end 5 of "the box 1. In the practical use of the mail box constituting this invention, the carrier at the distributing 'oflice places the mail matter for the per-- son ,whose name appears on the end'5 of the box in the compartment 8, and the stamps,

postal cards or change, should there be either, in the compartment 9 and after 1 .which the lid 10 is closed upon the box 1 and locked in secured relation thereto. A carrier has only to deposit the mail box within the stationary mail box at the designated point of the delivery as indicated on the-same, and to take from the-stationary box the second mail box containing the outgoing mail should there be such. It is,

therefore, obizious that mail matter for distribution along rural mail'routes may be more effectually delivered than is possible under. the present conditions, and that also .the mail being delivered free from damage is also to be considered.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A portable mail box adapted for insertion within a stationary mailbox of larger size comprising: a body portion having vertically disposed and parallelly spaced walls with registering apertures in each side wan near therear portion thereof and an aper-' ture in the front wall, a lid ha ving vertically depending'walls to overlap the walls of said body portion having registering ap-.

ertures through the rear portion of the side walls adapted to register with the registering apertures in the side walls of thejbody portion, and having an aperture in the front wall to, register with the aperture in the front wall of the body portion, means .to pivotally mount said lid to said body portion by means of said side wall registering apertures, spring means attached to the inner face of the front wall of the body portion having a U-shaped bend'near the upper end thereof adapted to penetrate the aperture in the front wall of the body portion and the aperture in the front Wall of the lid when said lid is in a closed position so as to bring s'aid apertures in registry with each other, and to project beyond said lid, combining to lock "said lid closed and to hold a lock adapted J. \V. SmsoDA, A. H; -W1LB UR. 

